The blaze started in a 12-coach train, which was parked in the yard after its last run, around 1.45am; investigations underway

One compartment of an empty 12-coach train, parked at the yard near Thane railway station, caught fire around 1.45am on Wednesday. Nobody was injured.

“Fire engines from Jawahar Baugh, Kopri, Panchpakhadi and Wagle Estate were sent to the site, along with a quick response vehicle,” said Arun Raut, fire officer.

Santosh Kadam, disaster management control officer, Thane Municipal Corporation, said it took 30 minutes to douse the fire. “Getting the fire engines close to the station was challenging, as the flyover is low. We used an alternative route, B-Cabin Road, which is jam-packed during the day, but was thankfully empty that night,” Kadam said.

Officials are now trying to establish the cause of the blaze. Kadam said it is likely that a short circuit sparked the fire. “The train was parked after completing its last journey of the day. It’s likely that overheating caused a short circuit,” he said.

Railway officials have not ruled out the role of miscreants. “A committee of senior officers headed by a safety officer will conduct an inquiry into the incident,” said SK Jain, divisional railway manager, CR.

Thane station sees 6.81 lakh commuters daily. It was, however, was empty when fire broke out, making it easier for officials to limit the damage.